Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(Aus.) a general hand on a rural property.

1897		H. Lawson ‘The Boss’s Boots’ in Roderick (1967–9) I 319: The ‘rouser’ has no soul to save. Condemn the rouseabout!
1904		H. Lawson ‘The Ballad of the Elder Son’ in Roderick (1967–9) II 74: The rousers at my father’s shed / Have got more grub than they can chew.
1912		Bulletin (Sydney) 7 Nov. 16/3: But th’ rousies are me greatest trial; some of ’em haven’t the sense of a n’appeny watch.
1914		Bulletin (Sydney) 26 Nov. 13/2: If the rousey and the cook’s offsider and a few others are bumped in the process – well, it’s their own fault for not being ‘gun’ shearers, too.
1945		Baker Aus. Lang. 62: A handyman on a station, oherwise called a rousabout, roustabout [...] rouser, rousie.
1965		B. Wannan Fair Go, Spinner 179: He asked if there were any possibility of getting work as a ‘rousie.’.
1978		J. Dingwall Sun. Too Far Away 83: A rousie throws a fleece on the table.
1982		H. Beaton Outside In Act II: Only time I stopped was when I worked the sheds [...] I was a fucken good rousy. Even sheared a sheep once.
1988		McGill Dict. of Kiwi Sl. 94/2: rousie rouseabout or shearing shed hand.
2003		McGill Reed Dict. of N.Z. Sl. [as cit. 1988].
2006		Age (Melbourne) 6 Jan. 🌐 The rousie had tried to clean my stand with a hand full of wool.